Joe Stevenson loses fifth straight with submission stumble at RFA 4

In 2008, Ultimate Fighter 2 winner Joe Stevenson was in his mid-twenties and competing for a UFC championship. Fast-forward to this weekend and his career outlook appears to be drastically different.

Stevenson picked up his fifth consecutive loss last night after suffering a submission to Dakota Cochrane in the main event at RFA 4. The bout was far from competitive with Cochrane establishing the pace early, landing a number of well-placed strikes including a series in the second stanza leaving Stevenson on the canvas and prone to Cochrane’s BJJ.

The defeat dropped the record for “Daddy” to 31-15 and 3-7 in his last ten tilts. Prior to his slide Stevenson was considered to be one of the toughest lightweight draws in the sport, owning past instances of success against the likes of Melvin Guillard, Kurt Pellegrino, Gleison Tibau, and Nate Diaz. Also worth noting, Stevenson took a year off prior to the pairing in hopes of improving his skill set while recharging his batteries along the way.

The win snapped a two-fight skid for Cochrane, improving his overall mark to 12-3. Fans likely remember the 26-year old from his role as a TUF 15 contestant who didn’t win his qualifying fight but received a ton of publicity prior to the show for his work in the adult film industry.

Joe may be young, but he’s got a ton of millage on him. Some guys stay competitive but fade away like Couture, Tito, or Hughes. Others drop quickly like Joe Daddy, Pulver, and Liddell. When you time is up, it’s up, and it’s kinda sad to see guys go from headliners to nothing in just a few short years.